Hello, Stephanie. I’m here after reading one of your notes. Anyhoo, I must say, I am intrigued. It is fresh. It is bold. It is gray. It is you. I love it. I am also curious and in asking this question, I am perhaps residing in the gray 🙃. How would you differentiate your view of being in the gray and being lukewarm? People who have one foot in the world and one foot in God’s Kingdom. Never completely on one side. Shouldn’t there be times when we might just have to stick to either black or white? If what you’re trying to get at does not apply to these situations (which it probably doesn’t) then ignore this text 😅. If it does, I am curious to know how you’d reconcile the two.
This is such a great question, and I plan to address it fully in an upcoming article. But here’s a somewhat condensed answer: if the Bible gives a clear, straightforward command, you better believe I’ll obey it and stand by it. The issue, however, is that many Christians have become Pharisaical in their beliefs. They add to the law and condemn others for differing opinions, often basing their arguments on a single verse or two that should be understood in context and in light of the cultural circumstances of the time. Others feel strongly about a preference God has placed on their heart and think that belief should be pushed onto others—similar to those who avoided eating meat sacrificed to idols, even though Paul made it clear there was nothing wrong with eating it… and, at the same time, warns us to be careful not to allow our freedom of eating meat to cause another to stumble. There’s too much to explain in a comment… and I still need to further define “lukewarm,” but I’ll be writing this article soon because it’s an important topic! Thanks for asking!
Yes, please. Another post on these matters would be helpful — especially as to how it relates (or doesn’t) to being lukewarm or something akin to placing your feet on both sides of the boat. For example, saying, “Jesus is God” on a Sunday morning and agreeing with a bunch of people that all gods are the same on a Monday night. While this is but a terrible example, I am sure you understand what I mean. We are inclined to want to belong. Feeling excluded because we’re labelled a “Jesus freak” — no one wants that and so we simply go along to get along. Where do we draw the line?
I hope you address these or similar matters in your next addition, Stephanie. I will sincerely look forward to it. While you’re at it, come check out The Beautiful Saviour Society. I have a feeling you’ll love it there ❤️
Hello, Stephanie. I’m here after reading one of your notes. Anyhoo, I must say, I am intrigued. It is fresh. It is bold. It is gray. It is you. I love it. I am also curious and in asking this question, I am perhaps residing in the gray 🙃. How would you differentiate your view of being in the gray and being lukewarm? People who have one foot in the world and one foot in God’s Kingdom. Never completely on one side. Shouldn’t there be times when we might just have to stick to either black or white? If what you’re trying to get at does not apply to these situations (which it probably doesn’t) then ignore this text 😅. If it does, I am curious to know how you’d reconcile the two.
This is such a great question, and I plan to address it fully in an upcoming article. But here’s a somewhat condensed answer: if the Bible gives a clear, straightforward command, you better believe I’ll obey it and stand by it. The issue, however, is that many Christians have become Pharisaical in their beliefs. They add to the law and condemn others for differing opinions, often basing their arguments on a single verse or two that should be understood in context and in light of the cultural circumstances of the time. Others feel strongly about a preference God has placed on their heart and think that belief should be pushed onto others—similar to those who avoided eating meat sacrificed to idols, even though Paul made it clear there was nothing wrong with eating it… and, at the same time, warns us to be careful not to allow our freedom of eating meat to cause another to stumble. There’s too much to explain in a comment… and I still need to further define “lukewarm,” but I’ll be writing this article soon because it’s an important topic! Thanks for asking!
Yes, please. Another post on these matters would be helpful — especially as to how it relates (or doesn’t) to being lukewarm or something akin to placing your feet on both sides of the boat. For example, saying, “Jesus is God” on a Sunday morning and agreeing with a bunch of people that all gods are the same on a Monday night. While this is but a terrible example, I am sure you understand what I mean. We are inclined to want to belong. Feeling excluded because we’re labelled a “Jesus freak” — no one wants that and so we simply go along to get along. Where do we draw the line?
I hope you address these or similar matters in your next addition, Stephanie. I will sincerely look forward to it. While you’re at it, come check out The Beautiful Saviour Society. I have a feeling you’ll love it there ❤️
This is so well written and speaks to me so much. Thank you for sharing.
Thank YOU for reading. I hope I can continue to encourage you through my writing. ❤️
Gray is a good place to be. Thank you for articulating that so well. Can’t wait to read more. Welcome to Substack - also a good place to be.
Thank you, Kay! I feel at home here in Substack. ❤️